Toric-lap former



May 15, 1923. 1,455,444

A. E. MAYNARD ET AL TORIC LAP FORMER Filed June 5, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTOR A.E.MAYNARD W/kGUNNING .dtilb 9- am ATTORNEY6 May 15, 1923. 4 1,455,444

A. E. MAYNARD ET AL TORIC LAP FORMER Filed June 5, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR A. E. MAYNARD WA.GUNNING' ATTORNEYS May 15, 1923. 4 1,455,444

A. E. MAYNARD ET AL TORIbLAR FORMER Filed'June 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR AEMAYNARD 4 E 71. cu/v/vuve ATTORNEY6 Patented May 15, 1923.

UNITED, "STATES BERT vE. MAYNARD AND ILLIAM A;

GUNNING,

SETTS, AssIGNo'as To AMERICAN orTIcAL COMPANY, or sOuTI-IBRIDGE, lvrAssA- CHUSETTS, A VOLUNTARY AssooI TroN or MASSACHUSETTS. I

TORIC-LAP FORMER.

Application filed June 5,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT E. MAYNARD and \VILLIAM A. GUNNING, citizens of the United States. residing at Southbridge, in

the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toric-Lap F o-rmers, of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to improvements in lap forming machines and has particular reference to an improved machine for use in the construction of what is known as toric laps, that is to say, laps having different curves in opposite meridians,'al'though it will be understood that the machine is also capable of use in connection with spherical orother similar forms of curves if desired.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a novel and improved construction of machine which shall be substantially automatic in operation, which will serve to accurately and positively generate the desired curve or combination of curves on the tool, and which shall be particularly desirable and efficient, in that it will serve to at one time produce a large number of tools of this peculiar and diflic'ult to construct formation.

Other objects and advantages of our im- 0 proved construction should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and it will be understood that we may make any modifications in the 5 specific details of construction shown and described within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

Figure I represents a front view of a machine embodying our improvements.

, Figure II represents .a side elevation thereof. r s

Figure III represents a sectional View as on the line III-III of Figure I.

Figure IV represents a frontyiew of the machine arranged for the production of conveX in place of concave surfaces, the principle of operation in both instances remaining the same.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the main bed of our machine suitably supported and havingjournaled therein the shaft 2 of the lap bearing wheel 3, driven as by power applied to the pulley 4. This 1920. Serial No. 386,760.

wheel is of quite large diameter and is formed with a plurality of radially disposed grooves or guide-ways 5 slotted as at v6 for the studs 7 of the slides have their in and out movement controlled as by the adjustingscrew 9' provided with the head 10 for engagement with a suitable wrench, said screw block 11 secured in the guide-way5 as by the bolt or rivet 12 The studs 7, it is to be noted, are preferably threaded and clamped in position as bynuts 13 engaged on the rear face of the wheel 3to aid the adjusting screw 9 in firmly and positively securing the slides 8 in desired radially adjusted position. It to be noted that these slides project considerably from the face of the wheel and are each provided with the cone shaped studs 14: having the pins 15, these studs and pins be,- ing similar in configuration to the cone taper points of standard lens grinding machines, and being adapted to fit the sockets 16 of the lens. grinding tools or laps 17, a single lap being mounted oneach stud andthe number of laps being operated upon by. the machine at a single time being limited only by the strength of curve and the consequent limitation imposed as to the number of tools which may be grouped about the center of rotation, the greater the radius of curvature in the one meridian the larger the number of tools which may be simultaneously produced. For this reason it will there are a number of extra or slots 18shown in the wheel 3 but not occupied or indicated as occupied by slides, in that view these supplementalslots or guidesupplemental ways being equipped only when tools of permitting their use areeine larger radius ployed.

Secured upon the frame 1 forcooperation with the tools or laps, is a guide 19 having working through the or, SOUTHBRIIDGE, MAssAcHU- 8. These slides may be noted that mounted thereon the slide 20 bearing a rotat r I able table portion orturret 21 having a worm gear 22 adapted to be driven at of speed, as by the worm-23 on the shaft 24 which is slidable through the bev'elgear 2 5 keyed thereon to transmit rotary movement to the shaft from the bevel gear 26 on the driven shaft 27-, which in turn is coupled with a suitable source of power for applying slow rotary movement to the table 21'. This table has adjustably secured thereon a tool a slow rate holder 28 hearing a cutting tool 29 which i or axis but this distance may be varied as desired according to the curve it is desired to produce in the central meridian parallel'to the face of the wheel 3.

he slides and laps to be shaped having been adjusted in the proper position or the length of radius of the curve to be produced from the axis of rotation, the tool slide 20 is then'laterally shifted on the slide 19 till the pointof the tool will properly engage a lapascarried there-past by rotation of the wheel 3 so that the tool willremove the necessary amount of material from the face of the lap to impart the desired shape to it. It will thus be seen that as the wheel 3 rotates with the wheel in contact therewith, the

oint of the tool being a radius length from the center of rotation of the lap surfaces, willprescribe that curve upon said surfaces.

It has been mentioned, however, that it is intended with this machine to produce toric surfaces on the tools in place of plain spherical surfaces. To accomplish this, therefore, before adjustment of the tool holder slide 20 the tool itself was first adjusted to bring its point the proper distance from the center 30 for the transverse curve of thevarious tools. In operation, then, the tool is swung about the axis 30 through the action of its drive worm and shaft and applies a cross curve of this radius to the several laps as they are carried by the tool, while on account of the center about which the laps themselves rotate in a direction at right angles to the rocking of the tool is produced the spherical surface with distance from the point of tool to the center of rotation. In this way a compound curve is produced on the face of each of theseveral tools and a number of said tools are simultaneously produced each having identicalsurfaces.

WVhile we and described this mechanism in connection with the formation of concave surfaces, it will be understood that the same identical principles apply in the formation of convex surfaces, except that the slides 8 are inside adjusted position in have particularly illustrated and the studs'16 project outward and bear the lens grinding tools, while the cutting point of the tool is d rected inward and the several distances are measured from the center to outer surface of the tool and from inside toward the innermost point of the tool. This type of construction is illustrated and should be ence to Figure IV, since the principles 1nvolved are. the .same in the machines shown in Figures I and IV and the parts all operateor function in the same way.

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotatable work holding wheel having a plurality of guide ways formed in one face thereof, of work holders having portions slidable in said guide ways, and having projectingtool' receiving studs and means for locking the work holders in the uide ways.

2. In a device of the cdnaracter described, the combination witha ing guide ways formed therein, of tool holders slidably mounted in the guideways, shoe adjustment means for controlling'the movement of the tool holders on in the guide ways, and means for locking the holders in desired adjusted position.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotatable work holding wheel, of a cutting tool holder oscillatable in a plane at right angles to the face of the wheel, and positive means forprogressively oscillating the cutting tool holder in one direction, said means including a worm and worm gear, tinuously operating said gears.

4:. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotatable work holding wheel, of a cutting tool holder oscillatable in a plane at right angles to the face of the wheel, and positive means for proreadily understood by refer- Y rotatable wheel hav the wheel 1 and means for C011? gressively oscillating the cutting tool holder gears, said means 111- In testimony whereof we have aflixedour signatures, in presence of two witnesses.-

ALBERT E. MA-YNARD. WILLIAM A. GUNNING. Witnesses:

Es'rHnR M. LAFLER, Amen G. HASKELL. 

